Drought Statement

drought_text.html

MEDIA RELEASE - ISSUED 3rd AUGUST 2000

Statement on Drought for the 6 & 46-month periods
ending 31st July 2000

Rainfall deficiencies expand in Queensland but ease in southern Australia

The Bureau of Meteorology's Deputy Director (Services),
Dr Geoff Love, said today that July rainfall helped to ease
short term rainfall deficiencies (6 months) in southern
Australia, but was insufficient to prevent an expansion of
the rainfall deficient region in southeast Queensland.
However, there was little if any change in the pattern of
long-term deficiencies dating from late 1996.

Above average rainfall in July in the southwest of Western
Australia and the east of Tasmania brought about an easing and
contraction of rainfall deficiencies dating from February this
year. The pattern of rainfall deficiencies for the six months
from 1/2/00 to 31/7/00 is shown in the first map below. However, in
southeast Queensland below average July rainfall caused
deficiencies to intensify and expand in that region.

Very long-term deficiencies (46 months from October 1996)
persist over an area extending from the southern Eyre Peninsula in
South Australia to Sale in eastern Victoria, and also in northern
and eastern Tasmania (see second map below). In some of these
regions the rainfall has been lowest on record for such a period.
Also, relatively small areas on the Queensland coast between
Rockhampton and Bundaberg have serious rainfall deficiencies for
this 46-month period.

There will be no further statements about rainfall deficiencies
in southern Victoria and southeastern Tasmania dating from April 1999,
as these areas are essentially covered by the very long-term
deficiency period.

Note: The terms used to describe rainfall in these
Drought Statements have the following meanings -

Well below average
- rainfalls in the lowest 10% of historical totalsBelow average
- rainfalls in the lowest 30% of historical totals,
but not in the lowest 10%Average
- rainfalls in the middle 40% of historical totalsAbove average
- rainfalls in the highest 30% of historical totals,
but not in the highest 10%Well above average
- rainfalls in the highest 10% of historical totalsSerious deficiency
- rainfalls in the lowest 10% of historical totals,
but not in the lowest 5%Severe deficiency
- rainfalls in the lowest 5% of historical totals

For more information regarding this rainfall
deficiencies statement,
please contact the following climate meteorologists
during normal business hours (EST) Monday to Friday: